Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[MaryJanet]

Yes, microparticles. I think the consensus that they weren't really harmful to humans health is been questioned again. More like we don't know and we're studying : https://ec.europa.eu/research-and-i...le-thousands-bits-plastic-every-year-now-what

Here poultry feed is never sold in plastic bags, neither sheep or cow but it could be stocked in plastic before that.

Good to know!

Just saw a German study (via the editorial I linked) that found ingested microplastics in 28 of 30 cetaceans (fellow mammals) but no clear indication of harm from ingestion.

But I'd still rather be safe than sorry.

 

[Perris]

and because it's early days for researching all this, they're focussed on the physical size of the particles. But plastics vary hugely, and I don't think it's wise to ignore that - consider how many can, and how many can't, be recycled yet, for example. Some may be inert, some very toxic, and it all gets lost in averages based just on particle size.

 

[Perris]

tax for plastic trash:

 

[ManueB]

tax for plastic trash:
View attachment 3178049

He's got such a variety of gorgeous colors! But a look that says not to mess around with him .

 

[Perris]

just to the left of Chirk (above) it was morning nap time for the June chicks, who are nearly 5 weeks old now (Eve hasn't abandoned them yet, she's just out of shot to the right). I suspect the Braekel is a cock too, but I'm not sure yet. If it is, that'll be all 4 chicks I ever got from that breeder turned out boys!

 

[Perris]

He's got such a variety of gorgeous colors! But a look that says not to mess around with him .

yes, and he's one of the flock that I have never held. But he's not at all threatening, to people or to most other chickens. He gives his dad a hard time, but he's fine with the other roos, and lets them breed whichever hens will take them too.

 

[ManueB]

just to the left of Chirk (above) it was morning nap time for the June chicks, who are nearly 5 weeks old now (Eve hasn't abandoned them yet, she's just out of shot to the right). I suspect the Braekel is a cock too, but I'm not sure yet. If it is, that'll be all 4 chicks I ever got from that breeder turned out boys! View attachment 3178050

Which one is the fourth, was it another generation ? Will you have to re-home all three ? That would be too bad ! Even though you can't keep all with Paprika / Svenka's chicks.

I'm thinking I have two boys. The smaller chick (it's growing up, but very slowly) looks like a twin of the bigger one that's definitely a cockerel. It also has big feet .

The farmer we got the eggs from, Gaston, had a broody that hatched 11 chicks a week before Chipie and Eve. Unfortunately a fox got to them last Friday and only 2 survived. It must have been famished, because it went through three collies and a retired Anatolian Lgd. However it didn't get away fast enough and Gaston shot it. Long story to say he will probably take one boy or two from us since he has almost no chicks left.

 

[Shadrach]

I sell the feed bags 3/4 full 4 bucks not as many takers although loyal are the ones that come back year after year.

I asked for £5 for a 20 Kg bag full so not far off your price.

 

[Shadrach]

Wow. I have nine hens and they lay on average three or four a day. Sometimes less, very occasionally more. That’s only around between 20 and 30-ish per week. I have three molting right now, and they aren’t laying. Bridge doesn’t ever lay, hasn’t in years, and I don’t think Buttercup does, either. Cashew squats for me, but I’m not sure if she’s laying. That is a concern. I have a 6-year-old, five 5-year-olds, one 3-year-old and two 2-year-olds. Mostly it’s the younger three that are laying, but a couple of the older ones are, too, just less often. One of the 5-year-olds is broody, and two are molting.

The Legbars are not daily layers, but the rest lay most days. It will tail off in a couple of months I expect. Given there is nothing I can do about the RSL high productivity rate, selling the eggs seems a good option for helping to pay for the costs of keeping them.
I've allowed £50 per month from my own money, eggs or not. Most hobbies probably cost a lot more per month. My allotment patch came free as does some fruit and veg donated by some of the other plot holders, including C.
When one considers how much I enjoy the chickens and the allotments in general, it seems like a bargain.
It's taken a while. For the first few months I didn't get anything back, not even cooperation. Things have improved as they have a tendency to do if one is persistant with a task.
The possible down side is the chickens have gone from being the allotment chickens to Bucket Boy's chickens and with that comes the responsibility for their welfare.

 

[Shadrach]

how much did you get for it?

it sure is. A lot of the peat substitutes are awful, and buying them is a real crap shoot because they haven't been in existence long enough yet for people to have formed balanced opinions about which ones are any good in which circumstances.

I charged a fiver which looks close to Penny's price.